WASHINGTON, D.C., March 25, 2005 -- The tragic
circumstances of the Terri Schiavo case have elicited strong
feelings from all quarters. While this is completely
understandable, many commentators and observers have crossed the
line in using this tragedy to needlessly, gratuitously and
viciously attack the dedicated men and women who serve as
America’s judges. This needs to stop.

Regardless of how one feels about the specific
circumstances of this situation, the role of the judiciary in it
is clear and straightforward. The federal and state judges who
have been assigned this case have been charged with weighing the
facts of the case and the remedies set forth in the law,
responsibilities they have carried out valiantly and with great
dignity and sensitivity to the anguish that all of the
participants in this case have endured.

While it is appropriate for commentators,
policymakers and the broader public to debate the societal
challenges and dilemmas brought to light by Terri Schiavo’s case,
there is no need for personal attacks on the judges in this case.
They are not killers as some have called them, nor are they
activists bent on pushing an ideological agenda. They are simply
dedicated public servants called on to serve as impartial arbiters
in a very difficult case. Instead of maligning them for applying
existing law to the case at hand, even though it may not reflect
the current will of Congress, we should praise them for dispensing
even-handed justice and upholding the independence of the
judiciary even under the most difficult circumstances. These
judges deserve our respect, not our scorn.